F0726

E

Failure to Ensure Competent Nursing Response During Resident Respiratory/Cardiac Emergency

Glendale, California Survey Completed on 03-25-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that licensed nursing staff possessed and demonstrated the competencies required to provide emergency care consistent with facility policies and resident assessments. A resident with a POLST indicating full code and full treatment status was admitted for long-term care with diagnoses including diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, dementia, and atrial fibrillation. The resident’s MDS showed severe cognitive impairment and dependence on staff for all ADLs, and the care plan identified potential for cardiac distress related to cardiac conditions, directing staff to monitor for symptoms such as dyspnea, shortness of breath, tachycardia, and to promptly notify the physician if symptoms occurred. Physician orders also included PRN oxygen 2–5 L via nasal cannula for shortness of breath or oxygen saturation below 92%.

Surveyors found that nursing staff lacked critical emergency response skills and did not follow the facility’s CPR and oxygen administration policies when the resident became unresponsive with difficulty breathing. RN 1 was observed to be unable to determine that the oxygen tank on the crash cart was empty and could not demonstrate how to connect the suction tubing to the suction machine, and later stated not knowing how to check if the oxygen tank was empty or how to connect the suction machine. RN 1 also could not verbalize that a backboard was needed during CPR. Review of RN 1’s competency records showed no skills and competency evaluation for use of a suction machine, vital signs, or emergency response. The DON reported that RN 1 had a language barrier and that she paired RN 1 with experienced LVNs due to RN 1’s comprehension and communication needs.

During the resident’s decline, LVN 2 reported that the resident had been stable earlier and had eaten 100% of dinner, but later was weak and breathing slowly. LVN 2 attempted to take vital signs but was unable to document the results and stated that paramedics initiated CPR upon arrival. The Paramedic Captain reported that, on arrival, facility staff were not performing CPR, a backboard was not in place, and the oxygen valve regulator connected to the oxygen tank delivered only up to 8 L/min. LVN 2 stated she was not aware that ventilation could be provided when a resident was unresponsive and breathing slowly and acknowledged inaccuracies in documentation times. Facility policies required assessment of symptoms such as shallow breathing and vital signs during oxygen therapy, immediate initiation of CPR by licensed staff certified in CPR when an individual is unresponsive and not breathing normally (unless a DNR is present), and accurate, time-specific documentation of procedures and treatments. The facility’s staffing policy required sufficient numbers of nursing staff with appropriate skills and competency, which was not met for the involved licensed nurses.